Wednesday, November 14, 2001

‘Golden age’ not too golden

My first real (paid) journalism job was as a staff photographer for The Skiff in 1965 and 1966. I got money instead of credit because I was a psychology major.

But there was another other important benefit. Back then, the Skiff photographer was issued an “Official Car Parking Permit” that allowed access to ANY parking space on campus, including the holiest-of-holies, special, VIP-only lot located immediately behind Sadler Hall.

Goodness, how I loved to slip my fading pink 1960 Dodge Dart into that empty visitors space right next to the Chancellor’s well-polished black Lincoln. Think that could happen today? Yes, campus parking was impossible 36 years ago. That much hasn’t changed.

But other things were different back then.

For one thing, I remember we had a family of actual Horned Frogs — real, live, little phrynosoma cornutums on display in a terrarium in the Student Center. Female students couldn’t wear pants on campus and nobody attended class in shorts. The Skiff wasn’t “daily” yet. We published on Tuesdays and Fridays and wondered — just as J-students do now — why anyone would name a newspaper after a small boat.

But don’t let any of us old-timers sell you a story about those great “golden days” of hard-edged college journalism. Here’s just a sample of what we covered: “DG’s Win Annual Puff Game,” “Doris Day Look Alike Contest,” “Coeds Vie for Miss Auto Show,” “Mistletoe: Plant of Many Callings” and my all-time favorite: “Terry Cloth Towels Put to New Use.” The terry cloth exposé revealed how coeds were saving money by sewing old towels into robes and housecoats. It appeared in the Skiff’s “Especially for Women” section. No, I’m not kidding.

When we took a break from covering breaking news (“Snow Fell On Campus”) we also had time to come up with “too-cute” headlines.

“Kitchen Beefs Up,” was a 1966 story about new menu choices. “Ranchers Home On Range,” profiled ranch management and a positive review of a new 1966 campus musical was headlined succinctly: “The Boyfriend Scores.”

Not that there wasn’t controversy. We wrote stories about civil rights forums and low wages for kitchen workers ($28 per week). Remember the “Is God Dead?” debate?

Probably not. You weren’t born yet. But trust me. It was a hot item in 1966.

Then there was Vietnam. Or “Viet Nam,” as our stylebook of the time apparently mandated. Skiff stories chronicled conflicting campus opinions, from “Send Letters to Soldiers in Viet Nam” and “Prof Backs Viet Nam Action,” to “War Protest,” and “Civil Disobedience Theme for Seminar.”

But that was then, and this is now.

Or is it?

Check out these Skiff headlines, also dating from a generation ago.

“Problems Face Foreign Students,” “Biologist Leads Bacteria Attack” and “Safety Precautions Listed Against Tornadoes, A-Fallout.”

The atomic fallout story appeared in the March 11, 1966 edition of the Skiff. It explained how there were 16 civil defense shelters on the TCU campus, all stocked with water and survival crackers, that could keep us safe from radioactive attack.

I wonder how those crackers are holding up

John Miller is an adjunct professor of journalism. He can be contacted at (john.miller29@att.net).